Indie Retro RPG Portable Collection Part 1

Notes on the Indie Retro RPG Portable Collection (Part 1):

Here is a collection of 89 retro console-style PC RPGs produced by independent game creators. They are all portable and playable under Windows XP or WinXP compatibility. Playability under other versions of Windows or other operating systems is not guaranteed, although all of these games were tested in a Virtualbox in Ubuntu. Simply unzip the game to the desired location, and run the executable, to play. Most of the games support a game pad type of controller as well as a keyboard.

Note that you must have the correct fonts installed in your system for the text in the game to display properly. If you do not have the fonts, instructions are given below on how to install them.

Most of the games in Part 1 were created (by their authors) using RPG Maker, in one of its many versions, 2000, 2003, XP, VX, or VX Ace. A few games are not. Barkley, Shut Up and Jam and The Sewer Goblet were created using Game Maker 6.1

Most of the games in Part 1 are freeware, and can be downloaded from the author's site, or rpgmaker.net, or elsewhere for free. A few of the games are commercial, and the full versions are presented here along with the non-commercial games.

As this collection was compiled some time ago, and no effort has been made to find updates for the games, undoubtedly some of the games here are old versions of games that have been updated. Ara Fell, for example, has been updated for distribution on Steam.

The complete list of games follows these brief notes.


Notes about the fonts:

Many of the games, especially the RPG-Maker 2000 and 2003 (RM2k/RM2k3) games, use a certain font in the game that needs to be installed in the C:\Windows\Font directory. Those fonts are located in a directory named '[Fonts]' that should be included in the main directory containing these games. There are two zip files, RM2K3_FONTS.zip and UMEPLUS_FONTS.zip which contain all of the necessary fonts.

The reason for separating the fonts from the games is to save space; repeating the same fonts over and over in the same collection takes up unnecessary bytes of information, especially since three of the font files are bigger than some of the games themselves (in Part 1, anyway). Simply cutting and pasting the fonts into the directory may not work immediately (without a reboot); but Windows XP provides a convenient Font installer if you navigate to the Fonts directory.

The RMVX font (umeplus-gothic.ttf) is not apparently needed in most of the games that it comes with, although the games may default to an inferior font if it is not included - in that case, umeplus-gothic.ttf should be put in the Fonts subdirectory of the game itself, not in the Windows Fonts directory.

RMVXA games contain all of the fonts needed in the game directory, and no fonts have been removed from them to save space.

Games created in RMXP, on the other hand, don't usually require a special font. If they come with a font in the game directory, usually there are instructions to install it.

Several games have different fonts included with the game that are noted in the game's documentation. Some of them come with a font patch that may work, although those games can use the RM2k3 fonts mentioned above.

For every game where the fonts were removed to save space, the game has a file named 'install these fonts' or 'install this font' in a '_Fonts' or 'Fonts' subfolder naming which fonts that they need.


Notes on the games:

Most of the games included in Part 1 are referenced in a list of "Top RM Games of All Time" on rpgmaker.net:

rpgmaker.net/forums/topics/14780/?p=1

Some of the games found on that list are not in this collection because they are unfinished, a few are not in English, and others are unavailable because they have been taken off the net by their authors. There are more on the list that would not fit into Part 1 of this collection and are planned for inclusion in further parts. Four parts of the collection are currently prepared for sharing.

The other games in Part 1 (not on that list) are included here because they are notorious, or they are games also created by the same authors as those games, or they are interesting for other reasons.

All games have the RTP included. There were several games that did not have the RTP included in the state they were found on the net, and so the RTP had to be added to them. This was done by loading the game into the respective editor with which it was created, then re-saving the game, this time with the RTP. Wherever the RTP was added, the directory of the game says 'Plus RTP' and includes the name of the RTP that was used (in parentheses).

The rest of the games note which version of RPG Maker or Game Maker they were created with, in the name of their 7z file.

The directory containing each game notes the year of release of the game and the game designer or producer. Usually, the year is for the original version of the game, which is probably the version included here. Some games have an updated version, and the date of that version is used.

Some of the games are English translations of foreign-language games. The authors of the translations, where available, are noted in the name of the zip file; otherwise, the translation authors are noted in the game documentation. If the name of the author is not listed, there was not enough information available to name them.

Some of the games have save files included. You can use the save files to skip the game intro, if you like, to test the game quickly. Usually the saves are not particularly far along in the game.

If you find an update for any of these games, feel free to mention them in the comments.

This is the full list of games in Part 1:

A Bird Story (RMXP)
A Blurred Line 2.1 Plus RTP (RM2k)
Aetherion (RMVX)
Alter Aila Genesis (RMk3)
Ara Fell 2k3 v1.5.7z
Aurora Wing (RM2k)
Balmung Cycle Plus RTP (RM2k3)
Barkley Shut Up and Jam Gaiden v1.20 (GM6.1)
Beautiful Escape - Dungeoneer (RM2k3)
Bloodsphere v1.3 (RMXP)
Blue Contestant Plus RTP (RM2k)
Bob's Big Adventure Plus RTP (RM2k)
Cast Aside - Episode 2.5 (RMXP)
Castle Chase Deluxe v1.03 (RMVX)
Cavern Of Doom (RM2k3)
Demon Legacy Plus RTP (RM2k3)
Devil Hunter Seeker Of Power Plus RTP (RM2k3)
Dhux's Scar (English) (RM2k)
Dragon Fantasy 1 (Remake) (RM2k)
Dragon Fantasy 2 (Final Mix) (RM2k)
Dragon Fantasy Boss Trial (RM2k)
Dragon Warrior Remix 1.0 Plus RTP (RM2k)
Dragon Warrior Legacy of Aiden Final Version Plus RTP (RM2k)
Enelysion Redux Plus RTP (RMVX)
Everlong v3.27 (RM2k3)
Exit Fate v102 (RMXP)
Blackmoon Prophecy Plus v1.19b1 (RM2k3)
Final Fantasy Endless Nova v2.5 Plus RTP (RM2k)
Forever's End - Episode 1 (RM2k3)
Generica v1.3 (RM2k3)
GenericaTNG v1.0 (RM2k3)
Guild Raider v1.4 Plus RTP (RM2k)
Hellion (RM2k3)
Hero's Realm v1.5 (RM2k3)
Homework Salesman Ch1 v1.2c (RMVXA)
Reconstruction Zero - I Miss the Sunrise 1.51 (RPGVX)
Ib v1.07 [T+Eng_vgperson] (RM2k3)
Kindred Saga Chapter 1 Plus RTP (RM2k)
Kinetic Cypher (Again) 4.5 (RM2k3)
Last Scenario v122 (RMXP)
Legion Saga I Plus RTP (RM2k)
Legion Saga II Plus RTP (RM2k)
Legion Saga III Plus RTP (RM2k)
Legion Saga Z Plus RTP (RM2k)
Leo & Leah - A Love Story (RM2k3)
Lisa The First (RM2k3)
Love and War - Act I (revamp) (RM2k)
Lullaby (RMXP)
Manifest (RMVX)
Man's Best Friend v1.2 (RM2k)
Marvel Brothel v1.3 (RM2k3)
Miaka's Great Adventure Plus RTP (RM2k)
Naufrager Crimson Plus RTP (RM2k3)
Necropolis Part I (RM2k3)
NigSek a Monster's Tail Plus RTP (RM2k)
Notes on the Edgosian Crisis v1.1 (RM2k3)
OFF (English) v2.0 (RM2k3)
Paradise Blue v1.8 (RM2k3)
Phantom Legacy (Redux) (RM2k3)
Pom Gets Wi-Fi v1.04 (RM2k3)
Quintessence - The Blighted Venom [Chap. 1-11] (RMXP)
Red Moon (RM2k3)
Romancing Walker [T+Eng2003_rm2kfanboy] (RM2k)
Ryuukishi No Me II Plus RTP (RM2k)
SigCorp - Holiday Special (Minisode) (RMXP)
Space Funeral (RM2k3)
Spike Lee's The Twilight Zone (RM2k3)
Star Stealing Prince v3.3 (RMVX)
Sunset Over Imdahl (RM2k)
Super Columbine Massacre RPG (RM2k)
Suzy and freedom (RM2k3)
Taut (English Version) v1.1 Plus RTP (RM2k3)
The Book of Three v1.1 Plus RTP (RM2k)
The Drop v1.32 (RMVXA)
The Frozen World Plus RTP (RM2k)
The Grumpy Knight v2.0 (RMVXA)
The Longing Ribbon (RM2k)
The Mirror Lied (RMXP)
The Most Stupidest Game Ever Re-Duh Plus RTP (RM2k)
The Reconstruction v1.07 (RMVX)
The Sacred Tears TRUE [T+Eng2014_AlphaNuts] (RM2k)
The Sewer Goblet (GM6.1)
The Way v2.0 Episodes 1-6 (RM2k)
Three the Hard Way Complete (RM2k)
Till Death Do Us Part v1.3 Plus RTP (RM2k3)
To The Moon (RMXP)
Violet Princess and Frogs from the Fire Lake (RMXP)
Visions & Voices (RMVX)
Wither (RM2k3)

Have fun!

- FluxCapacitor